Some mean soldier people came and told Daddy and me we had to leave today.
These are new soldiers, Club soldiers Daddy calls them. I saw Queen Alyss's soldiers before. Daddy took me to the parades, but I was real little then. What I really remember, now that I'm a big girl, are the fights on the street, and I saw the Heart soldiers coming, but Daddy wouldn't let me watch. He said it wasn't safe for me. But these Club people make him even sadder. That makes me sad too.
We only had a few minutes to get our stuff because the soldiers were in a hurry. Daddy says they were trying to get us to our new house faster, so we could have the best one, and that's why we couldn't take longer. I had to leave my Mommy's necklace behind; the only thing Daddy gave me that was hers. I'd rather just stay here, but Daddy says we must listen to them. They know what's best, he says.
They made me get on this stinky, smelly snail train. There are so many people in here, there isn't even a gwormy length of space to move around. Daddy was smiling, but I could tell he was lying with that smile. He told me to never lie. What was wrong with him? Maybe he was sick. I could feel his head, just like he did for me when I had a fever.
Daddy holds my hand tight. I think it's because he's worried I'll get lost, but I'm not little anymore. I still hold his hand, to make him feel better.
Now we're stopping, and the doors are screaming open-the sound hurts my ears! But now everyone is pushing to get off. No one is waiting their turn. This isn't fair! Daddy is calling my name, holding my hand very tight. He pulls me to him and we get off together.
Daddy did lie before! There are no good houses here, like our house that those Club people told us to leave. They all look very old, and I don't like them. I tell Daddy this, but he doesn't listen to me. I start to cry, thinking he'll take me home, but he doesn't look at me. He's trying to find us the best house, but there are already people living everywhere. I tell Daddy that we can't stay here, we have to go back, but he tells me we can't. I don't know why. Daddy could always do what he wanted. Is this because his imagination went away?
Maybe they're giving us time-out for losing our imaginations! Mine has been gone for days. I try to tell Daddy this but he pulls me inside a big, tall building that smells like Daddy's old socks. I don't want to be here, but I won't leave Daddy alone.
There are no Club soldiers inside, but people are everywhere. I hold Daddy's hand tighter. Now I'm afraid that he'll get lost. He takes me to a room where there aren't as many people, but I don't know them, and I don't like them. I want our old house back, where there weren't strangers and I had my own room.
The walls are gray and the floor is dirty, like I just walked inside with mud all over my boots. Daddy would yell at me if my floor was like this. These people aren't very neat.
He sits me in a corner and tells me to go to sleep. He takes off his jacket, puts it down, and makes a bed for me. I guess these other people hogged all the real beds. Maybe Daddy will steal one for me. I'd share it with him. Now that he lied, stealing should not be hard.
The next few days are boring. Daddy and me stay in our corner. He doesn't let me leave at all, even to play with the other kids. They are real quiet. Maybe they lost their imaginations, too.
After a little, I try to find my imagination again. I imagine a soft red ball, just like Daddy taught me. After a long, long time, I see it! There's a little ball sitting right in front of me. I laugh, poking it with my finger. It really is there!
"Daddy, look at what I made!" I giggle, raising the ball up for him to see.
He looks sad for a moment, then very happy. The Club soldiers took his smile away, but my red ball found it again. Just like I found my imagination.
"Beautiful," he says, taking it out of my hand. He rolls it around for a little and then says he wants to find his imagination, too. It takes him a few tries-longer than me, even-and he makes an orange ball next to my red one. I take the two balls, hitting them against each other, when he goes to talk to some grown-ups. I can't listen, even though I'm a big girl.
Daddy comes back and picks me up, putting me on his shoulders. He says that we're going to have a meeting, but I only care that I get out of this room. Sitting way up high, I can see above everyone. We walk into a room that's bigger than ours. I'm still holding the red and orange balls, one in each hand.
There are too many people in this place. There is not enough room for everyone, but I can still see because Daddy is so tall. I see what everyone is looking at. There's a girl standing in front, and a boy and a man are with her. I think she might be the queen. Queen Alyss? She's pretty. As pretty as Mommy was, I think.
They're talking about imagination. I was right! It was because we lost it! They go on for a while, and I can't understand everything. But then Queen Alyss says, "Imagination is returning to Wonderland. Very soon, if you haven't already, the lot of you will again begin to experience your own imaginations."
I brighten. Maybe I was the first to find my imagination! I should tell the Queen! I raise my hand, hoping to get her to look at me. She does!
"Yes?" she asks me.
"I have my imagination!" I say, smiling brightly.
"And I have mine," Daddy says after me.
Pretty soon, a lot of people are talking. Because of me! Daddy lets me down, holding my hand and telling me how everything will be alright. "We'll get out of here," he says. "Queen Alyss will free us all."